So here’s a cool story: My dad bought this exact Porsche 356 in the mid-80s to go vintage racing. Today, that would translate to buying a 986 Porsche Boxster, or maybe even an early 987 Cayman. Except back then it was like $3,000 lol. Below is a photo of me pushing this exact same car… in probably about 1992.

Eventually, my dad sold the Porsche 356…

To one of his buddies. Actually it was Jerry Peters, the guy who owned the black #88 356 in the photo above. Wait let me interrupt myself real quick before I forget. The moral of every story is: Never sell a cool car!! That’s the lesson!! Anyway, Jerry Peters began restoring the car in his garage/basement & cleaning up some of the rough ends, but he ultimately sold it for another project… I dunno. But eventually, after another owner or two, my dad’s old Porsche 356 ended up in Minnesota… the hands of Jason Domask. And that’s where its NEW story begins. Jason set out to bring the car back to street car status. An outlaw style build. But he really wanted to preserve the 356’s racing history & story. Which ultimately led him full-circle back to my dad. 

This is an account from Jason Domask (in his words) about his Porsche 356 project…

I did not want to over-restore the car. Instead, it was refreshed to do justice to its past life as a competition car. And to honor your dad (Dan Wooley) & Howard Cooke (previously from HC Motorsports & Powdertech Plus in Orange Park, FL… now at Autometrics outside of Charleston). It was important that the car’s history would not be lost. This is a driver’s car: No radio, and no power steering. With a 60-year-old race engine that absolutely loves to rev, and has no problem keeping up with traffic at modern freeway speeds of 75+ mph.

The Porsche 356 wears a flat-black version… 

Of the livery that it had when your dad raced it. And it’s painted in its original special-order color of Dolphin Grey – 6410. The Porsche Certificate of Authenticity (COA) showed that it was an original 1964 356 SC with special paintwork, and the 616/16 engine, which was the most powerful pushrod engine Porsche had ever produced. It also had the desirable late-model 741/2C transmission.

According to Howard Cooke… 

The Porsche 356 got a custom-ground camshaft. And the engine case was modified to allow for better oil-flow & cooling (this was all done back in the 80s/90s). It has a front fender-mounted 911 oil cooler. The valves were replaced with smaller/lighter valves. It has ported & flowed heads. And Howard remembered it had/has forged pistons. I ended up replacing the original carburetors with highly-modified Weber P40’s and F15 emulsion tubes, different venturis, and a modern bluetooth distributor that allowed me to adjust the distributor advance curves and tune via smartphone. I think Cameron Frankley (the new/current owner in CA) is redoing the engine once again, as he plans to bring the car back to the track.

Inspired by Stirling Moss…

And his iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR which won the 1955 Mille Miglia, I upholstered the aluminum speedster seats using antique French Kelsch (a primitive cotton linen). I also installed a NOS Nardi wood steering wheel with a Porsche horn button – which are both absolutely gorgeous. The original gauges were converted to electric. And I installed a new black upholstered panel in the back for sound insulation… and for aesthetics. There’s no carpet – just the black rubber 356 floormats to keep weight down, and to keep the visceral sensations that honor the car’s race history.

I installed a new (glass) front windshield… 

And a new polycarbonate rear window. The side windows are the original plexiglass from when your dad raced it, and I removed them when driving the car.

The Porsche 356 also got… 

A new fuel cell, steering coupler, and all new modern electrical components. It was also about time for a modern wiring harness & all new wiring throughout. New mirrors, hood straps, a chrome hood handle, fog lights, clutch, fuel regulator, and much-much more all helped to prep the 356 for the street. Body & paintwork was completed just before I obtained the car.

It was important that I retain as much of the original 356 as possible… 

While making it easier to tune & street-drive. And by the way – this is the best-sounding 356 of all time! No ticky valve sounds. The best part of this car wasn’t learning about the mechanicals of a 356 racecar. It was learning about this car’s unique history & ownership story. And especially – building a friendship with your dad.

Photos by Alex Bellus

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